Kate Wythe, Director of Regional Planning and Operations
Kate joined the TJPDC on July 1st as the Director of Regional Planning and Operations. She studied architecture in college, and was introduced to city design and planning and switched paths. Kate earned a Master’s in Urban and Regional Planning and a Master’s in Urban Design from the University of Michigan. She started her career as an urban designer in Berkeley, California, drawing and designing not just houses, but entire cities. Family opportunities brought her to Houston, Texas, where she continued as a consultant in urban planning. And once again, opportunity brought her to Charlottesville!
Q: What interested you in working at the TJPDC?
Along the way, I’ve built a wide range of urban planning experience: transit-oriented design to brownfields, façade improvements to mall redevelopment, bus rapid transit to high-speed rail, online surveys to design charrettes, gateway designs to corridor plans, regional trails to parks master plans, neighborhood beautification to comprehensive plans. I love urban planning because you can be a part of a project from concept to implementation, ideas are always evolving, and you never stop learning something new. TJPDC is exciting because I get to continue that diversity of planning experience here in the region. Whether plans are big or small, I’m interested in improving quality of life and helping people and places for the long run.
Q: What is a hobby or fun fact that you would like to share?
I’ve also visited 48 states plus Puerto Rico — Montana and Alaska are next on my list!
I’m proud to have lived on all four coasts: I grew up in West Michigan on the Great Lakes, moved to the Bay Area, California, on the Pacific, transitioned with my family to Houston on the Gulf Coast, and now call Virginia home on the Atlantic Coast!
In each new home, we embrace the outdoors, the food, and the culture. I’ve learned so much living and traveling across this country, and I’m so thankful to have experienced such a wide range of values and perspectives. It’s expanded my worldview — and my urban planning work — in ways I couldn’t have imagined.